August 19, 2018

Did Zika reach Brazil via Haiti?

A study developed at Fiocruz Pernambuco traced the route of the arrival of the Zika virus to Brazil, filling a gap in the literature on the subject. Among the most frequent assumptions, it was believed that the virus would have entered the country during the 2014 World Cup (12-13 July) brought by African travelers. Another theory said that the introduction would have occurred during the world canoeing championship, held in August 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, which received competitors from several Pacific countries affected by the Zika virus.

"This coincides with the path taken by the dengue and chikungunya viruses "Explains one of the researchers, researcher Lindomar Pena. This result points to the fact that Central America and the Caribbean are important routes of entry for arboviruses in South America. This is strategic information for epidemiological surveillance and for adopting measures to control and monitor these diseases, especially in border regions with other countries, ports and airports, according to the article.

In all the Brazilian cases studied, the common ancestor of the virus is a strain from Haiti, a country known to be affected by the triple epidemic of Zika, dengue and chikungunya. Illegal immigrants from Haiti and Brazilian military personnel on a peace mission in that country may have brought the Zika virus to Brazil. In agreement with these results, previous studies had confirmed cases of chikungunya in Brazil imported from Haiti and the Dominican Republic, highlighting Central America and the Caribbean as important routes for the introduction of this arbovirus in Brazil.

Another conclusion of the study is that there were multiple, independent entries of the zika virus in Brazil. This changes the previous belief that a single patient could have brought the disease, which later would have spread throughout the country.

Comments

A study developed at Fiocruz Pernambuco traced the route of the arrival of the Zika virus to Brazil, filling a gap in the literature on the subject. Among the most frequent assumptions, it was believed that the virus would have entered the country during the 2014 World Cup (12-13 July) brought by African travelers. Another theory said that the introduction would have occurred during the world canoeing championship, held in August 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, which received competitors from several Pacific countries affected by the Zika virus.

"This coincides with the path taken by the dengue and chikungunya viruses "Explains one of the researchers, researcher Lindomar Pena. This result points to the fact that Central America and the Caribbean are important routes of entry for arboviruses in South America. This is strategic information for epidemiological surveillance and for adopting measures to control and monitor these diseases, especially in border regions with other countries, ports and airports, according to the article.

In all the Brazilian cases studied, the common ancestor of the virus is a strain from Haiti, a country known to be affected by the triple epidemic of Zika, dengue and chikungunya. Illegal immigrants from Haiti and Brazilian military personnel on a peace mission in that country may have brought the Zika virus to Brazil. In agreement with these results, previous studies had confirmed cases of chikungunya in Brazil imported from Haiti and the Dominican Republic, highlighting Central America and the Caribbean as important routes for the introduction of this arbovirus in Brazil.

Another conclusion of the study is that there were multiple, independent entries of the zika virus in Brazil. This changes the previous belief that a single patient could have brought the disease, which later would have spread throughout the country.